Fernandez Family Journal

Number Three?

2011-07-17T19:36:00.001-05:00

In a public restroom tonight after explaining the expressions "number one" and "number two". . .

Me: "So do you need to make number one or number two?"

Anna: "Wait. What's number one?"

Me: "Wee wee".

Anna: "And what's number two?"

Me: "Poo poo."

Anna: {Long pause} "What number is diarrhea?"

And then i had to try to contain my laughter because it upsets her.You just can't buy that kind of entertainment!

Say Hello to My Little Friend

2011-07-15T01:01:00.004-05:00

We've heard lots of stories about Anna picking up little tree frogs when they play outside at her school, so I guess we weren't too surprised tonight when she found a new little "friend" in the backyard.

Meet "Isabella" (yes, apparently it's a girl). . .

Derek taught her how to hold it and made sure she didn't squeeze too tight. He even let it bite him to show her that it doesn't hurt.

After she let Isabella go, she came inside where I was cooking dinner and cried because she wanted her "friend to come back." Oh yeah. So she's tough enough to hold and pet a lizard, but she's girl enough to cry when it's time to say goodbye :)

Best of both worlds. Man, I love that little girl!

Parker - Two Months Old!

2011-07-11T11:29:00.006-05:00

My sweet little Parker had his two month checkup last week, and for a guy who had a slow start in the weight department, he sure has done some bigtime catching up in the last month or so!

Weight: 12.0 lb (51st percentile)

Length: 22 inches (14th percentile)

Head Circumference: 15.75 inches (83rd percentile)

He got 6 vaccines in 4 doses (3 shots, 1 oral), which I'm sure was a lot more painful for me than for him judging by who cried more! We did find out that Parker has eczema, just like his big sister, and he had a yeast infection (which I didn't even know was possible for boys, but apparently as long as it's dark and moist, yeast doesn't gender discriminate). Otherwise, he couldn't be more perfect!

On another note...my friend Allison introduced me to these adorable stickers by Picky Sticky, which help to capture each special month of baby's first year. You just stick them on a onesie and snap away. Such a cute idea! Unfortunately, I got them late and missed the first two stickers (0 and 1 month), but I'll definitely continue this until he's one!

Parker, we are all just enjoying loving on you and watching you grow so much. You have the sweetest little demeanor, although you do cry if you're wet or dirty and you *really* know how to assert yourself when you're hungry (can't stress that one enough)! Your big sister loves helping Mommy & Daddy with you - holding you, feeding you, bathing you, giving you your paci. It really warms my heart to see the two of you together, and I can't wait to watch your relationship blossom as you do!

Love Always,
Mommy

Soulographer Giveaway and Sale!

2011-06-23T12:32:00.001-05:00

Check out the huge Giveaway and Sale at the Soulographer Blog for Photographers!: http://www.soulographer.com/

Blog Ressurected

2011-06-16T22:58:00.002-05:00

I was once so good about keeping up, but it's been an embarassingly long time since I last posted on the blog. And even before then, it was kind of dying a slow death. I could blame it on work, my pregnancy, my new photography business, my preschooler, or a long laundry list of other tings, but the truth is that it was just a combination of it all. Then after it had been a while, I just didn't know what to say, and it was so much easier to just post a quick photo or status update on facebook rather than take the time to put together a blog post.

But that ends now. Reading through some of my old posts, there are things I wrote about Anna once upon a time that I had already forgotten - and she's only four! And I know that one day she'll enjoy looking back at them as much as I do. So now that Parker is here, I figure it's as good a time as any to ressurect the blog and make a commitment to myself and my kids to preserve my precious memories of them. Because they are the most amazing blessings to me, and I don't want to forget one second.

He's Back. . .

2010-12-01T14:57:00.007-06:00

It's that time of year again! "Tickles" (our sweet little Elf on the Shelf) has arrived straight from the North Pole! And this year, "he" is actually a "she" with a brand new elf skirt to prove it.

Anna was so excited this morning to wake up and see where Tickles was hiding. . .right on the shoulders of the angel topper on her very own Christmas tree!

Every day in December until Christmas morning when she goes back to the North Pole with Santa, Tickles brings Anna a little treat in her advent calendar (if she's a good girl, of course!)

Here's hoping for a December of no naughty and lots of nice!

Halloween Fun

2010-11-02T18:34:00.009-05:00

Wow. So it's been a few months since I've blogged. Hopefully, I remember how to do this! Fall is my favorite time of year, and I have lots of Halloween fun to share. . .

We started things off in mid-October with a visit to Dewberry Farm, our favorite pumpkin patch. The cool weather wasn't quite here yet, but we had a great time despite the heat. Maw Maw and Paw Paw came with us, and we took full advantage of all of the great activities that Dewberry has to offer: pony rides, jumping pillows, hayrides, pumpkin-picking, bouquet-making, pig races and a corn maze!

We took a ton of pictures at Dewberry. It was really sunny, but this one of Anna in the pumkin patch is still one of my favorites. . .

This is the little cutie that we picked fresh and brought home with us. . .

Next up on the Halloween line-up was Anna's friend Charles' costume birthday party last weekend. I wanted Anna to have a cheaper costume that I wouldn't have to worry about getting ruined by all the things kids do at birthday parties, and she picked Spidergirl (which perfectly complimented Charles' Spiderman!)

Then there was the Halloween Parade at Anna's school on Friday. She brought Halloween cake balls (Thanks for helping, Maw Maw!) for her teachers, and cute little treat bags for her friends. And she was so excited to deliver it all in the morning. After nap, all of the kids changed into their Halloween costumes - Anna wore Jessie, her "real" costume. . .

Saturday morning, Anna got to dress up for her dance class, and she chose Cinderella from her dress-up collection. She also wore this one to gymnastics earlier in the week, but we were too rushed to get a picture.

Saturday evening, we went to Anna's friend Arianna's Halloween-themed birthday party, and she wore Spidergirl again. Ari's little sister Emma was a pink Spidergirl, and they looked so cute together. . .

And then for the main event on Sunday: Halloween! After church and a long nap to recover from all of the weekend's other activities, we went to Maw Maw & Paw Paw's house for some yummy vegetable soup, treat bag-stuffing, pumpkin carving, and trick-or treating!

Anna made the cutest little Jessie. She was so excited to put make-up on, so we did some glittery gold eye shadow, some brown freckles, and lip gloss.

She trick-or-treated for a little while, but we hit one unexpectedly scary house and she was ready to call it quits. She already had plenty of candy, and had more fun handing out our treat bags anyway. . .

Now, all of the Halloween fun might be over, but we still have the great memories - and the candy! Until next year. . .

A Few of My Favorite Things

2010-08-27T02:03:00.005-05:00

Messy hair. Saturday mornings. Fluffy pettiskirts. Pink fingernails. You.

All my love forever.

Mommy

First Dance Class

2010-08-26T23:26:00.001-05:00

Now that Anna is three, I was finally able to enroll her in dance classes this fall!

Very soon after I enrolled her, MawMaw and I took Anna shopping for her dance basics: black leotard, pink tights, pink ballet shoes, black tap shoes and a dance bag. She liked the "buh-lay" shoes, but was immediately enamored with the "noisy shoes" and could not wait to put them on. So it was no surprise that she chose them for her pictures when given the choice. . .

Here she is proudly modeling her new gear and her sweet little bun before her very first class today. I was able to get her to wear the bow for the pictures, but she only agreed because I promised she could take it out when we were done. Sadly, I think her bow-head days are numbered. . .

There is a huge windowed wall with a viewing area into the studio. The blinds were open today, so Daddy, MawMaw and I were able to watch the whole class. Anna was a great listener, and tried everything that was asked of her by her new teacher "Miss Amy".

She was the youngest in her class by a good year and the only new student, so she has some catching up to do. But I have to say she did really well considering!

I think it really helped, too, that her little friend Peyton is in her class. Anna was very much looking forward to seeing her, and kept asking over and over if she was going to be there. The admiration is apparently mutual, because I heard that Peyton was doing the same thing to her mommy :)

At the end of class, everyone got a sticker for being good. Anna is a sticker fiend in general, so she was very proud of her green, glittery happy face.

But not nearly as proud as we were of her!

For Ava

2010-08-22T23:43:00.004-05:00

I've been following the blog of the very talented photographer Sheye Rosemeyer for several years, and was so deeply touched by the story of her Beauty Full daughter Ava. I wanted to do a tea party for Ava last year, but never made the time. This year I did, and I'm so very glad I did.

Beauty Full friends.

Beauty Full laughter.

Beauty Full afternoon.

Beauty Full life.

If you are interested, you can read more about Ava on Sheye's blog & Ava's Memorial Site, and more about Ava's Tea Party here.

Note: All pictures were processed with "Toy Camera" & "Fairy Floss" from Sheye's Eye Candy Actions for Photoshop (The Beauty Full Set).

Let's Play Pretend

2010-07-12T23:08:00.004-05:00

I had been telling Anna that she was going to have a tea party all week long. And it rained. All week long. Every day when she'd get home from school, she would ask if she was going to have her tea party, and I'd have to tell her no.

But on Friday - finally!

So MawMaw helped me cover her from head to toe in bug spray (the rain had the mosquitoes out in full force) and lug all of our goodies to our tea party spot. And she was so excited, it definitely made it worth all the trouble and all the waiting.

I thought it was kind of neat because Anna's tea party guest "Abby" was a bear that I bought for her while I was pregnant, and the tea set was a gift that I received for her from our neighbors while I was pregnant as well.

Abby's dress and tiara are even the same dress and tiara that Anna wore for her princess party this year.

We brought some yummy cupcakes with pink icing (does any other color exist in the eyes of a 3-year old girl?!)

Anna had a really good time eating the icing off the cupcakesAnd she washed it down with some pink lemonade, poured all by herself from her pretty teapot. She was really sweet about filling both her own cup and Abby's cup every time.

But I'm pretty sure there was an ulterior motive, because every time she'd finish drinking her lemonade, she'd empty Abby's cup into hers and polish that one off too!

Eventually, we got run off by the mosquitoes, but it was so much fun while it lasted. Anna talked about it all weekend long and keeps asking when we're going to do it again.

Maybe next time we do it, we'll do it with a REAL friend instead of a bear - although I'm thinking a REAL friend wouldn't be quite so passive about Anna licking the icing off their cupcake or swiping their lemonade. Bears are generous like that ;)

Tea for Two

2010-07-10T12:37:00.003-05:00

More coming soon. . .

A Summer Day with Seth

2010-07-06T23:21:00.003-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, my nephew Seth spent a week in Houston with my parents. This was a particularly nice treat for Anna, because she completely adores both of her cousins, but doesn't get to see either of them very often since they live in Louisiana. So while Seth was here, I decided to take a day off in the middle of the week so that Anna and Seth could spend a very rare, whole day together.

My mom and I won a session with Nicole Denae Photography as part of the silent auction at the Taste of Cy-Fair event a few weeks ago, so luckily, we were able to schedule that session quickly enough to coincide with Seth's visit.

We were supposed to meet with Nicki first thing in the morning when the kids were wide awake and fresh, but the weather had other plans - the bottom completely fell out of the sky the moment we arrived at the location! So we were forced to shuffle the rest of our plans for the day and stall a bit until the weather cleared up.

First, we decided to go get some breakfast at IHOP. Anna & Seth both got the Create-a-Face Pancake, which has strawberry eyes, a whipped cream nose, a banana-slice mouth, and comes with a tube of strawberry yogurt for decorating. Anna gave hers hair, and Seth gave his a nice, big moustache.

Then we killed a little bit of time at Target, stocking up on Toy Story 3 goodies to bring with us to the movies later. Each of them got their own Buzz pillow and Toy Story blanket for the ultimate in movie-going comfort.

It wasn't quite time for the movie yet, but it was too rainy to do anything outside, so we hit the most obvious indoor killer-of-time for kiddies: the McDonald's playplace (or as Anna calls it: "Old McDonalds")! It was a good way for the kids to burn off some energy before having to sit in a chair for a couple of hours for the movie.

Then it was finally time for the main event - Toy Story 3! Both of them were so good during the whole movie, and the movie itself was absolutely adorable. I was a little surprised when I was holding back tears at the end. Not too shabby for a kids movie!

When we walked out of the theater, the skies were nice and clear (hallelujah!), so we re-connected with Nicki, who was so great about accomodating us around the weather. By then, it was already after 2PM, and the kids were not so nice & fresh anymore. Had Seth not been leaving the next day, we probably would have rescheduled, but we had no choice but to press on.

So instead of getting a nap, Anna & Seth were asked to pose and smile for a complete stranger in the apres-rain muggy heat. And all things considered, I think they did a great job given the situation. Despite the challenges of two young & tired children, Nicki got some great captures and I know we'll treasure them always as much as we'll treasure our day together.

After some downtime, we took them to the YMCA pool and splashpad for some more fun, then to EJ's for some pizza after they had worked up a healthy appetite. Everyone slept really well that night - and I don't mean just the kids!

If You Can't Beat 'Em

2010-07-02T22:33:00.002-05:00

Friday afternoon after she got home from school, Anna wanted to go play at the playground really badly. She kept asking over and over again. Normally, I'd be more than happy to oblige her, but not only was it rainy - it had been raining all. day. long. And the playground (along with everything else) was soaked!

So I figured if you can't beat 'em. . .

She had so much fun splishing and splashing in all of the puddles. I'm quite sure that we can now look forward to her asking (begging) to do this every time it rains!

Princess Playdate

2010-06-29T03:38:00.005-05:00

We got a real treat this past weekend. Our friends Nicole & Ross were busy getting their house ready for an open house, so we got to keep our goddaughter Olivia for the good part of the day on Saturday!

Anna was so excited about Olivia coming over to play, and they really played so well together. They spent a lot of time in Anna's playroom. Olivia was Princess Cinderella. . .

And Anna was Princess Ariel, hoarding all of her play jewelry in her purse so "baby" Olivia couldn't get them. . .

Olivia really had fun with Anna's play kitchen, putting everything and anything in the microwave and the oven, and it was a total trip watching her try to walk in those princess shoes. . .

After a while, we put on swimsuits and spent some time outside - swinging, sliding, and playing in the little pool and sprinkler. It's so hot here this time of year, you really can't be outside unless you're getting wet!

When we'd had all we could take of the sun, the girls got to take a bath together and eat a late lunch. Anna picked out some chicken nuggets that were in the shapes of dolphins and whales, and those were a big hit along with some watermelon. Then we made some rather colorful rice crispy treats, or as Anna says "Christmas treats!" (I guess that's what she thinks we're saying.)

After lunch, we went back into the playroom to watch a movie. They looked exhausted (or maybe that was me), so I made a little bed for them on the floor, but they did not stop playing until the second that Nicole knocked on the door to pick Olivia up.

Nicole and Ross, we're going to be so sad to see you go, but we're so glad that we got to spend this extra time with Olivia before you do! Thanks for sharing your little sweetie :)

What I Sound Like

2010-06-25T18:25:00.008-05:00

After she got home, I told Anna that she could pick where we eat dinner tonight. I never say this unless I feel like I can stomach Luby's, because that's pretty much always her pick. While I finished up a few things, Anna was playing to occupy herself until it was time to leave for dinner.

This is the conversation that followed. . .

Anna: [Playing with her play kitchen and food] "I'm making dinner, Mommy!"

Me: "Oh good! Then we don't have to go to Luby's."

Anna: "Why?"

Me: "Because you're making dinner."

Anna: [Giving me "the look"] "It's not real, Mommy!"

Me: "But I want to eat your dinner."

Anna: "Mommy, you will choke."

Thanks Anna. I now officially know what I sound like.

Alegria

2010-06-17T23:24:00.002-05:00

I have had a long-time love affair with Cirque du Soleil.

As children, my sister Lindsay and I used to watch it on tv any time we stumbled upon it, and in college I danced to a beautiful piece of music from the Cirque show Mystere. But the real love began in 2000. New Years Day of 2000 to be exact, when my mom & dad got us all tickets to see Alegria at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi.

I've seen many other Cirque shows since - Dralion, Varekai, O, Ka, Zumanity - but something about Alegria has always stuck with me. Maybe because it was my first. But the artistry, costumes & makeup are just unbelievable. And the music (which is all live, by the way) is just beautifully haunting.

That's why I was so excited to hear that Alegria was coming near us - ten years later, I got to bring my daughter to the very same show that I first fell in love with. And she loved it too. As we walked to the car she said, "Mommy, I want to see that show again!"

Indeed, we will. And I can't wait!

Charm School

2010-06-09T23:37:00.003-05:00

Monday night, we had spaghetti for dinner. At first, Anna said that she wanted only noodles with no sauce, and that she didn't want a fork. That seemed harmless enough to me, so I went along with it.

Somewhere along the way, she decided that she wanted sauce, but she still refused to use a fork. . .

I'm thinking of opening my own charm school and using Anna as the poster child. Who's in?

Vroom Vroom!

2010-06-08T22:52:00.003-05:00

Guess what Anna got to do when we visited Omi & PawPaw this past weekend. . .

She got to take PawPaw Carl's new toy for a spin! Okay, so she didn't really drive it all by herself, but she had a blast riding it with her Daddy through the neighborhood. She wasn't scared at all and kept telling her daddy, "Faster! Faster!" and asking to "do it again!"

Maybe when she's a little older, they'll have to take her out to the spillway and teach her how to do 360's and get stuck in the mud. With a helmet, of course!

Little Swimmer

2010-06-02T23:49:00.005-05:00

Last summer, I signed Anna up for a swimming class at the YMCA. We showed up for the first lesson, only to find that we were the only ones who signed up for that time and that the class was cancelled. (Thanks for the phone call, YMCA!)

So thanks to that little mess, Anna finally had her first swimming lesson today - a year later and NOT at the YMCA!

On the way into her lesson, we passed the big outdoor pool where the "big kids" on the swim team were practicing. She took one look at it and said, "I don't want that one!"

But she did so well during her private lesson with "Miss Gracie"! She was excited, and although she was a little hesitant, didn't cry at all when it was time to get into the water with only a complete stranger. Once she got in the water, she was all smiles. They practiced kicking, jumping in, floating on her back, and even putting her ears and face in the water (which has historically been a big problem, even in the bathtub).

Daddy and I really enjoyed watching her from behind the glass of the viewing area, and she just looked so proud of herself after each and every little task she conquered. It's so amazing to see her face her fears with a big smile on her face.

Miss Gracie had nothing but good things to say, so we can't wait to see how Anna progresses through the session. Hopefully, she'll be a lot more comfortable and a lot safer in the water by the end of this summer!

Ghosts of Birthdays Past

2010-06-02T23:41:00.006-05:00

I got out of the shower one lazy Saturday morning to find this in my bed. . .

Necklace - Clown nose from her "Big Top" themed 2nd birthday
Hat - Backwards Crown from her "Princess" themed 3rd birthday
Bed Head - All natural (you know you're jealous!)

The only thing missing is the customized bib from her first birthday to round out the ensemble. If she keeps digging in my things, I'm sure that can be arranged as well.

Cover Girl

2010-05-27T20:59:00.002-05:00

Matilda Jane Clothing is having a little Cover Girl Search for the fall, and we wear so much Matilda Jane, I figured why not enter! Part of the requirements was that the picture had to be taken at a Matilda Jane trunk show, with the display in the background.

So off to a show we went this past weekend. . .

At this particular show, photographer Kimberly Benyak was taking pictures of the kiddos all dolled up in their Matilda Jane duds for the contest, and she did a great job!

I don't know what the crew at MJC is looking for in a winner, but Anna will be my little "cover girl" no matter what!

Simply Observant

2010-05-27T17:41:00.002-05:00

Yesterday afternoon after I picked her up from school, Anna came with me to run a couple of errands - first, to mail a few things, then to the grocery store. At the grocery store, I bought a Simply Lemonade with Raspberry for us to share while we shopped.

Anna was immediately enamored with the drink because - well, because it was pink. But she was also delighted to find that because of the shape of the top, she was able to take it off and put it back on all by herself. Oh, the liberation!

After shopping for a while (and her putting a pretty good hurtin' on the drink!), I looked over at her, and she had the drink under her shirt and was trying to open it with her shirt. Here's what followed:

Me: "Anna, what are you doing?"

Anna: "Opening my drink with my shirt."

Me: "Who does that?!" (thinking it's probably someone at her school or something)

Anna: "My daddy does that. With his beer."

It always tickles me to find how observant she is, although I told Derek this story and he claims he doesn't use his shirt to open bottles. She was kind of specific, though, so I'm thinking maybe - just maybe - he did it once. And she doesn't miss a trick!

Big Girl Bed

2010-05-24T06:52:00.000-05:00

Guess who slept in her big girl bed all by herself for the very first time last night?!

So proud of you, Anna!

I Heart Faces - "Yellow" Challenge

2010-05-24T01:14:00.004-05:00

For this week's "Yellow" challenge over at I Heart Faces, I immediately knew exactly which picture I wanted to use. I took some pictures of my daughter in a field of yellow wildflowers on Mother's Day this year {originally blogged here}, and this was one of my favorites.

The memory of the warm, sunny day spent with my little angel was captured perfectly with the beautiful yellow backdrop of the flowers.

Head on over to I Heart Faces to check out all of the other "yellow" entries this week, or submit your own!

Wigglin' in San Antonio

2010-05-20T18:34:00.009-05:00

Last weekend, to celebrate our 7th anniversary, we decided to get away - albeit not too far - to San Antonio.

We drove in on Saturday morning and went straight to Fiesta Texas for some family fun! The newest attraction there this year is an area for the kiddos called "Wiggles World" where all of the rides are named after The Wiggles songs. There was even a little show with characters from The Wiggles like Dorothy the Dinosaur and Wags the Dog. This worked out really nicely because Anna loves The Wiggles, and she had a great time.

Derek took Anna on her first roller coaster ride (named after The Wiggles' song "Romp Bomp a Stomp"), which was kind of ironic since Derek doesn't ride roller coasters. But it was pretty mild, and I think he'd do just about anything for his Anna. We all rode the "Big Red Cars" together, and I took Anna on the "Big Red Plane" and the "Fruit Salad Yummy Yummy" ride. But I think she had the most fun playing on Captain Feathersword's ship, which had lots of slides.

We rode lots of other family-friendly rides, and Anna even played her first carnival game. She won a Scooby Doo that she was very proud of.

We pretty much closed the place down, but before we left, Anna had her first caricature made. She wanted to be a pink princess, and I think the little guy did a great job.

On Sunday, we went over to the San Antonio Riverwalk. We started off with a delicious lunch right next to the river at Boudro's, and Anna really liked watching the ducks swim by.

Next, we headed to get our tickets for a river cruise. We didn't have to wait long, and our tour guide was really funny. All was great until Anna started screaming, "I have to go poo poo! I have to go poo poo!" Really loud. And wouldn't stop. So we had to get him to pull the boat over and interrupt everyone's cruise, so we could go hunt down a restroom. Luckily, when we got off, we realized that we weren't too far from where we started, so we didn't miss much!

We did a little more exploring, then hit the road. We'll definitely do that again sometime!

I Heart Faces - "Faces and Flowers" Challenge

2010-05-17T17:37:00.002-05:00

I took this picture of my daughter on the San Antonio Riverwalk this weekend (more about that trip later), and I thought it would work perfectly for this week's "faces and flowers" challenge over at I Heart Faces since she has that ginormous flower in her hair.

When I bought that headband, I don't think the lady believed me when I told her I was going to put it on my 3-year old because of the sheer size of it. Believe it now, honey. When it comes to hair accessories, I pretty much think the bigger, the better!

Head on over to I Heart Faces to check out all of the other "faces and flowers" entries this week, or submit your own!

The Way She Sees It

2010-05-10T23:12:00.000-05:00

Now that Anna has been taking gymnastics, she seems to see everyday items differently. . .

We now have to walk on every single curb we encounter as if it were a balance beam. And we climb and swing on every bike rack we see as if it were a high bar. We jump on anything that gives some bounce - beds, restaurant booths - as if it were a trampoline. And we do "cartwheels" and forward rolls on any piece of open floor (and even some not-so-open spaces).

Slows us down a little bit, but I have to say it sure is refreshing to get to see the world the way she sees it.

Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-10T02:29:00.017-05:00

We typically go to Louisiana for Mother's Day to celebrate with our moms, but because Anna had a special gymnastics performance this weekend, we found ourselves in unfamiliar territory - just the three of us here in Houston. We did a lot of running around on Saturday, so we decided to keep things very low key on Sunday.

Poor Derek got a really nasty stomach virus, so Anna & I celebrated Mother's Day as a true "girls" day. I decided it would be fitting to start our day by taking my early Mother's Day present (my awesome new lens!) out for some fun in a wildflower field I've had my eye on. . .

Anna really didn't care much about my camera, but she just loved being in all of those flowers!

When she picks them, she always just pulls the head of the flower off of the stem. I've tried to explain to her time and time again that she needs to pick them down lower - both because they'll be easier to hold and so that we can put them in water - but she likes her way better.

Then we spotted the dandelions! She thought they were so cool. . .

I showed her how to blow on them, but she couldn't seem to blow hard enough, so she usually would resort to pulling it apart with her hands.

After pictures, Anna and I ate lunch outside on the patio at Cafe Express (one of my favorite little casual places), then headed over to Barnes and Noble to browse the childrens books. We ran several errands while we were out, and she was such a sweet little angel. She even spontaneously said, "Mommy, I love you forever" while we were in the middle of Kirkland's, for no reason at all.

This Mother's Day, I'm just so grateful for the immense blessing that Anna is to me, and for the fact that I get to experience this wonderful journey of motherhood with her.

I'm grateful for my husband, who (even sick!) did a ton of laundry while Anna and I were out gallavanting. The lens is amazing, but clean laundry is an extremely close second to that in my eyes.

And I'm so very grateful for my mom, who I have always loved, admired and appreciated, but do even more so now that I am a mother myself.

Happy Mother's Day!

Mayfest 2010

2010-05-10T01:39:00.004-05:00

Saturday morning, Anna's gym had a little "showcase" for the parents called Mayfest, where the kids get the chance to show off what they've been learning all year. The theme this year was "Under the Sea", hence the fish nets and sea creatures in the background.

Anna did such a great job performing, and she even got her very first trophy! We videoed it, so I might try to get some posted later to share.

We're so proud of you, monkey!

Half Baked Feature!

2010-05-06T23:57:00.002-05:00

I was just catching up on the blogs I follow, and imagine my surprise when I saw Anna's princess party as a "Real Parties" feature on the Half Baked blog!

I didn't send anything over, so I really was super-pleasantly shocked! I got tons of ideas from Half Baked for Anna's party, so I'm very flattered to be a part of it :)

If you're planning any parties in the near future, be sure to check it out!

Keeping Secrets

2010-05-04T22:17:00.001-05:00

Tonight, as I was getting Anna in her jammies after her bath. . .

Anna: "Friday is Mother's Day at my school."

Me: "Really?"

Anna: "Yeah, I made a plate."

Me: "You made a plate for me? That's so sweet, Anna!"

Anna: [Leaning in really close and putting her finger over her mouth] "Shhhhhhhhhh! It's a secret!"

Me: [Laughing hysterically] "It's a secret, huh?"

Anna: "Yeah, from my mommy and my daddy."

I tried to explain to her that that means that she wasn't supposed to tell me, but I don't think she gets it (which is fine with me!) But I guess I should make sure she better understands what a "secret" is before I go sharing anything confidential!

Super Anna

2010-04-29T21:20:00.002-05:00

Not sure where she first saw this (maybe from her cousin Seth), but Anna has been loving swinging "superman" style in the backyard lately.

Super cute. Super fun. Super Anna.

Buh-Lay

2010-04-26T01:10:00.004-05:00

As most of you know, dance was a huge part of my life growing up, and it was something I really loved. I look forward to the day when Anna is old enough to take some classes to see if she loves it too. Even if she doesn't, that's okay, but if her dancing around the house is any indicator, I think the outlook is very favorable :)

She wasn't old enough to enroll in classes last fall, but she did have her very first ballet class this weekend at her friend Peyton's ballet birthday party! I think she did a really good job of paying attention and doing what was asked of her, and I know she had a really great time (which is the most important part)!

I took the picture above of my little first-time ballerina in that cool chair as we were leaving the dance studio as a memory of the day. Hopefully, there will be many more dance classes in her future.

Yipee!

2010-04-22T22:41:00.002-05:00

One of Anna's pictures {originally blogged here} was posted on the MJC blog today!

I Heart Faces - "Collage" Challenge

2010-04-19T20:05:00.004-05:00

The theme for the challenge over at I Heart Faces this week is "Collages", so I couldn't resist using this one that I just created of my little monkey in the bluebonnets!

Check out the other collage entries or enter yourself over at I Heart Faces!

Bluebonnets

2010-04-18T23:49:00.002-05:00

I'm not a native Texan, but my daughter is, so I figured I owe it to her to follow some of those Texan traditions - like bluebonnet pictures!

Last Friday afternoon after work, MawMaw, Anna & I set out in search of some bluebonnets. My parents just moved to Houston in the last couple of years and my mom had never seen a bluebonnet. She was cracking me up on the ride over there, because she kept calling them "bluebells." Made me laugh. . .then crave some ice cream!

We finally managed to find a really beautiful field, but we got a later start than we intended to, and not only was it overcast, but we were losing daylight fast. Here are the few I was able to salvage. . .

We warned Anna that she wasn't allowed to pick the blue ones, so she spent all of her time finding and picking a nice little bouquet of the yellow and purple ones, as you can probably tell from the pictures!

I'm hoping to make it out there again with Anna one afternoon this week before the Bluebonnets are gone and hopefully have some better light!

10 Things I Love About You

2010-04-15T22:12:00.007-05:00

Dear Anna -

Every day you are changing, and doing and learning new things. So before you start doing and learning something else and my memory fails me, here are 10 things that I love about you, right this minute:

How you think that everything you eat turns your tongue a color, and you constantly stick it out when you're eating and tell me to look at it. Then I have to pretend that grapes turn your tongue a really cool shade of green or that bananas make it yellow.
How you have heard your daddy tell me "no makeup" before we leave for work in the morning so many times, that you think it's the natural companion to "goodbye" and "I love you" - and how you've used it recently on both Daddy and MawMaw much to our amusement.

How any injury can be cured with a kiss, a bandaid, or a baggie of ice. Sometimes all three if it's a real tragedy.
How sometimes, you just spontaneously give me a huge, tight hug and say, "I love you, Mommy" with such emotion, for no reason at all.
How when you sing certain songs at home, they are immediately followed by, "Can I have a sticker now?", just because you get a sticker when you sing them at school.
How every time we read a story or watch a movie, you're always asking me, "What happens next?", no matter how many times you've heard or seen it.
How you have to bring at least one of your "babies" everywhere we go, and how you make us put them in a seatbelt when riding in the car.
How when you do things yourself, you are so proud and say that you did it "by my own."
How you are obsessed with matching, and are constantly pointing out ways that we "match" - if we both have necklaces on, if we are both wearing sandals, if we both have a sticker on our hand. And if Daddy makes your milk in a sippy cup with the wrong top, you refuse to drink it until he finds the top that "matches".
How every night before we say our bedtime prayers, you make us all dip our hands in imaginary holy water before we make the sign of the cross.

Can't wait to see what I'll love about you next, baby girl!

All my love always,

Mommy

What Lies Beneath

2010-04-14T23:43:00.002-05:00

What lies beneath my little girl's sweet smiles is one tough cookie (not always a bad thing!)

This was the back-and-forth between Derek and Anna at dinner tonight.

Derek: "Did you go to time out today?"

Anna: "No Sir!"

Derek: "Who went to time out today?"

Anna: "Lane."

Derek: "Why did Lane go to time out?"

Anna: "Because he hit me!"

Derek: "What did you do after he hit you?"

Anna: "I told him no hitting and then hit him back!" (showing a closed fist and letting out a big "errrrrr!")

Not sure if it was true or not, but I have to say that I strongly suspect that her daddy was secretly proud.

The Grand Inquisition

2010-04-13T18:16:00.001-05:00

Anna has been asking for a "baby sister" - a lot, and for quite some time now - so we've had lots of conversations about it. At one point, I think she even gave up on me and decided she wanted to have the baby herself, so I had to explain that she has to wait until she gets big and gets married like Mommy before she can have a baby.

Well, like most things do when you have an inquisitive toddler, that came back to bite me this morning. We were on our way to her school, and this is the little voice I hear from the back seat:

Anna: "Mommy, are you still married?"

Me: "Yes, Mommy & Daddy are still married."

At this point, I was very unsure of where this was going, and wondering if maybe she had overheard anyone recently talking about the concept of divorce.

Anna: "Then I want a baby sister!"

Of course! I'm married, hence I should have a baby. Preferably a girl one.

Me: "Well, Mommy and Daddy plan to have another baby one day, but even if we do, we don't get to decide if it's a sister or a brother."

Anna: "Why?"

Me: "Because God gets to decide."

Anna: "Why?"

Me: "Because God makes the baby, and puts it in Mommy's belly."

Anna: "How does He make a baby?"

I didn't know what to say, but I was pretty sure that she wanted to know how He does it so she can use the same technique to make her own, pronto!

Me: "God makes everybody. He made you, and He made Mommy too."

Anna: (Not letting up) "How?"

And then we walked into the school lobby, and I was saved from the grand inquisition. For now.

Ever feel like every answer you give leads to 10 more questions that you don't have the answer to?! And I know her questions are only going to get harder. . .

Hugs for Layla Grace

2010-04-10T20:07:00.007-05:00

Today, we went to "Hugs for Layla Grace." It was a fundraising event for the Layla Grace Foundation at Anna's daycare center.

I thought it was a really neat idea:

Noah's Ark Workshop (think "Build-a-Bear") was there, and kids were able to come and choose their own animal friends to stuff. Not only did all of the proceeds go to the Layla Grace Foundation, but you could also choose to stuff an animal to donate to the patients at Texas Children's Hospital.

So Anna chose to stuff the monkey to donate to Texas Children's. And she chose to stuff the panda, which she named "Oscar", to take home with us.

Anna got to make a birth certificate and a beaded collar for Oscar. Then, she got her face painted, and did some coloring. She got to see some of her friends from her class, so that was fun, too!

A fun morning for a great cause!

Somebunny

2010-04-08T19:18:00.010-05:00

Somebunny had a really great Easter this year!

Anna really wanted to see the Easter Bunny when he came, but I explained to her that he only comes when little boys and girls are sleeping. She wanted to know why, so I told her it was because he is "sneaky." She liked that, and told anybody who would listen about the "sneaky" bunny.

The first thing she said when she woke up was, "Did the bunny come to my house?" So we all went out into the kitchen, and boy did he come!

He ate all of the carrots she left for him on her special Easter Bunny plate (from Too2Cute), and he left her quite an impressive spread of goodies!

After letting Anna play with her loot for a little while, we jumped in the car and headed to Louisiana for our traditional Easter whirlwind. . .

First, an early morning Easter Mass in Baton Rouge. Then, off to my family's park gathering in New Orleans. Anna and her cousin Seth got to blow bubbles, play with sidewalk chalk, play on the playground, and score a ton of eggs in the egg hunt! Then, it was on to the crawfish boil at Tio and Mimi's house, where Anna got to play with her cousin Caroline and do another egg hunt, and Daddy got to get his annual crawfish fix!

She had an absolute blast, and was nice and worn out for the (pleasantly quiet) drive back to Houston.

Freebies

2010-04-02T23:21:00.002-05:00

Here are the shots from the "free" micro mini session we got with Mackenzie Wheatley of Chubbyfoot Photography! Isn't that chair so cute? Love the chandelier fabric! And I'm definitely loving my smiling Anna and that Matilda Jane!

Thanks Mackenzie! It was a bit of a drive for us for a weekday afternoon, but it was worth it :)

Featured on Birthday Girl Blog!

2010-03-30T22:46:00.004-05:00

The Birthday Girl blog is dedicated to uncovering party details and product ideas for all kinds of birthday celebrations for people of all ages. She does beautiful inspiration boards for all kinds of themes. And from time to time, she does "Real Parties" features. It's so much fun to see what other people have done, and I actually got a lot of ideas from her blog for Anna's recent princess party.

Well, guess whose "Real Party" was featured today?!
http://www.birthdaygirlblog.com/2010/03/real-parties-tutus-tiaras.html

If you have the time, go check it out and leave a comment!

Kingwood

2010-03-30T21:32:00.007-05:00

Mackenzie Wheatley of Chubbyfoot Photography had a Matilda Jane trunk show. (Still with me?) She very generously offered a free micro-mini photo session to anyone who bought from her show. And that's how me, MawMaw & Anna wound up in Kingwood yesterday afternoon. To get a few pictures of Anna in one of her new Matilda Jane outfits!

I'm excited to see what Mackenzie got. She had a really cute chair with beautiful chocolate brown fabric in the middle of some really high grass. She's so great with kids. Bubbly. Giggly. And Anna just smiled and smiled the whole time Mackenzie was shooting away at her. But I don't have Mackenzie's pictures yet, so for now, you'll have to settle for a few that I took myself after Mackenzie was done. (Why not? Anna was already all dolled up!)

We were at a little nature preserve, and Anna really enjoyed picking the wildflowers. And smelling them, too. . .

I enjoyed our little field trip, and I can't wait to share Mackenzie's pictures once I get them!

Little Ears

2010-03-29T22:49:00.002-05:00

We got to church early this past Sunday because it was Palm Sunday, and the seats at our church have a tendency to fill up really quickly - especially on holy days of obligation.

Anna had to go potty, so after we found our seats, Derek held them while I took Anna to the restroom. There is a small restroom in the cry room, which was conveniently right behind where we were sitting, so that's where we went. Unfortunately, once we got in there, we realized that it smelled awful. Anna grabbed her nose and said, "Mommy, it's stinky!" then refused to use that potty.

So I decided to take her to the bigger restroom in the back of the church, but I first wanted to let Derek know where we were going so he wouldn't worry. We went back to the pew where Derek was sitting on the end and I very quietly whispered to him, "Someone let the dogs out in there, so I'm taking Anna to the other one." I thought that was discreet enough.

Then we start to walk away, and Anna says loudly, "Mommy, who let the dogs out?"

Let's just say I'm very thankful that we were early and that there weren't too many people there yet.

A "Girl" Cut

2010-03-26T21:03:00.005-05:00

On the way home from Anna's doctor appointment today, I decided to call and see if the hair salon near our house could accomodate her for a quick cut as a walk-in. I was told that "Gabe" was available and to bring her on in.

Derek had gotten his hair cut by Gabe at lunchtime, so after I hung up the phone, I explained to Anna that the same guy that cut Daddy's hair today was going to cut her hair. I thought she would like this, but she immediately got very upset and started demanding that a "lady" cut her hair because she's a girl.

I didn't really understand why it was such a big deal, so I kept asking Anna questions, and it turned out that she was scared that Gabe was going to cut her hair really short like Daddy's. And nothing that I could say would convince her otherwise. It was hysterical.

When we got to the salon, she refused to even look at Gabe, which was pretty embarassing, but she ultimately got her way because she got her hair cut by a very nice "lady" named Linda.

Three Year Checkup

2010-03-26T20:57:00.006-05:00

Anna had her three year checkup this afternoon, and she was very cooperative for Dr. Leonardo. She brought her baby Zoe along, and played doctor on her to pass the time while we were waiting.

Here are her stats:

Height: 38.5 inches
Weight: 34 lbs.

No shots this time, but we were warned it would be 4 shots when we go in for her check up next year. Yikes!

Tutus and Tiaras

2010-03-24T16:01:00.037-05:00

Anna's third birthday bash was this past weekend, and although the weather didn't cooperate and we even had to push the party back a day, everything was wonderful. And I know that at the very least (and the most important), the birthday girl had a pink, sparkly blast!

Anna has been really into dress-up and princesses, so I wanted to do a "princess" theme, while avoiding the cliched Disney Princess route. So, I designed these invitations, and pulled those colors throughout the whole party. I had them professionally printed on a beautiful pearl paper, and I put self-adhesive pink gems on each of the little white flourishes for an extra little touch. . .

This is the "Happy Birthday" banner I made with my new cricut, over the main dessert table. The little floral arrangements are pink tulips sitting in a vase with pink & brown m&m's (Anna's favorite!).

I made these really cute cupcake toppers using my cricut, pink & brown cardstock, and lollipop sticks. It's hard to tell from the picture, but the tiaras even have little self-adhesive gems on them.

The cupcakes themselves are from a modified out-of-the-box cake mix, but they're filled with a delicously addictive strawberry whipped filling. Check out the recipe here.

My mom and sister Katie were cake ball-making maniacs, and they made all of these cute & delicious yummies in the pink & brown color scheme. I decorated the cake stand with some pretty ribbon, then topped it off with some tulle & a tiara.

I made a "royal wardrobe" with pink & brown tutus & wands for the girls, and gold prince capes and swords for the boys. My intent was for this to be outside, but it was just too chilly and windy.

The kids were also able to decorate tiaras & crowns using all different sizes and shapes of gems.

My little princess went a little crazy with the gems and put just about as many that would fit. Then started stacking them on top of each other. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right? ;)

And for the main attraction. . .royal carriage rides! The beautiful white horse was named "Goliath", and he was very sweet about letting the kids pet him, too.

Anna really loved riding the carriage so much that for a while, I was a bit concerned about whether she would get to enjoy any other part of her party. She stayed on for 3 or 4 rides around the block with her friends before I was able to convince her to get off for a while.

When she finally did get off, it was to get her face painted by Maw Maw. Maw Maw's face painting was a big hit at last year's circus-themed party, so we decided to ask her to do some princess faces this year. She did an amazing job yet again. . .

Another really neat thing that my mom put a lot of work into was turning Anna's playset into a castle! She designed the whole thing, then recruited my dad & sisters to help her finish the painting. The wind kept us from being able to put the top pieces on the tower, but it still looked so cute!

I designed this cute little "Kiss the Frog" game, and had it printed as a 18 x 24 poster. Then, I used my cricut to cut out pink lips so the kids could see who could come the closest to "kissing" the frog prince on the lips. We didn't get to it until a lot of the kiddos had already left, but I have no doubt that they had plenty to keep them busy without the game.

To close the party, we brought everyone outside for the pinata - also custom-made from scratch by my talented mother. . .

And in following with our annual tradition, I had a framed picture of Anna displayed with a pen for everyone to leave her some 3rd birthday wishes on the matte.

Thanks so much to everyone who came and to everyone who shared their time and talents to help make Anna's birthday so special!

A Royal Affair

2010-03-24T01:09:00.004-05:00

After so much planning and lots of work by lots of people that love her dearly, Anna's princess party went so well this weekend!

Every night, I promise myself that I am going to edit the pictures so that I can do the big party post, but every night I've been falling asleep when I'm putting Anna to bed. I think I'm still recovering! More to come very very soon. . .

Tres

2010-03-16T22:28:00.000-05:00

More coming later.

Two Times

2010-03-14T22:33:00.004-05:00

Anna has eaten Chinese food many times. She loves lo mein noodles and fried rice, and she can seriously put away some edamame.

Tonight, I took her to a Chinese restaurant, and I ordered some won ton soup. Here is the conversation that followed once my soup arrived at the table:

Anna: "What are you eating?"

Me: "It's soup, and it has noodles in it. Do you want to try some?"

I shamelessly used the word "noodles" to play on her love of all things starchy.

Anna: "Yes" (tries the soup with big piece of won ton)

Anna: "Can I have another noodle?"

Me: "Well, it's actually called a won ton."

Anna: "No, two times!"

Me: "No, it's a won ton." (annunciating more clearly)

Anna: "No, two times!"

It was terribly cute and I got a really good laugh out of it.

But I can't help but think. . .
We're still a good ten years away from teenager, and she already thinks I don't know anything. That can't be a good sign, right?

My "Big Girl"

2010-03-14T20:42:00.004-05:00

With her third birthday only DAYS away, I have been thinking a lot about the fact that my "baby" isn't such a baby anymore. Apparently, I'm not the only one. . .

Tonight, Anna and I went to dinner together, just the two of us since Derek was driving back from a fishing trip. When the waitress came to take our drink orders, I told her that I wanted iced tea and Anna chose water. Not too long after that, another waiter asked our waitress if he could help her, and she asked him to get our drinks.

Within ear-shot of us, she said, "Iced tea for the lady, and water for the baby."

I didn't think anything of it, but when she walked away, Anna looked at me and said, "Mommy, where's the baby?"

I tried to convince her that the waitress was talking about her, but she just kept saying, "Nooooooo!" like it was the most preposterous thing she had ever heard.

Stick a dagger in my heart, will ya?

I Love a Good Theme

2010-03-10T01:13:00.002-06:00

These pictures are from back in November, they just never got posted because of the craziness of the holidays. I recently re-discovered them, and decided I need to share them because I just love a good unifying theme - and these pictures have two very obvious ones.

Let's see. . .

Playing with water
Trying to ignore me

Playing with Water
Probably ignoring me as well, although I can't prove it

Playing with Water
Ignoring me

Playing with Water
Ignoring me

Playing with Water
Ignoring me

Playing with Water
Ignoring me

Playing with Water
Not totally ignoring me (But only because I was threatening to make her leave!)

Moral of the story?

Anna likes to play in water, and she does not like to be disturbed by a camera-toting freak (aka. Mommy). Threats may make her look, but they can't make her happy about it.

Duly noted.

One More Week

2010-03-08T22:39:00.002-06:00

In one more week, my baby - my princess - is going to be three years old.

I can hardly believe how quickly time has flown.

Bedtime Prayers - Revisited

2010-03-04T06:56:00.002-06:00

Last night, I again asked Anna after her bedtime prayer if there was anything else she wanted to thank Jesus for.

To be honest, I really thought that since I "guided" her the night before to include the PEOPLE that she loves - Mommy & Daddy, MawMaw & PawPaw, Omi & PawPaw, etc - that she might actually go there on her own. But yet again, it was immediately, "Elmo". Then "Oscar". Then "Abby".

Then just as I'm thinking it's about time we get to some of the PEOPLE in her life, she says:

"Mommy, what's the name of Oscar's friend?"

And that's how we came to pray for Grundgetta, Oscar the Grouch's girlfriend. A puppet that she didn't even know the name of. Before Mommy & Daddy.

Not that there's anything wrong with that ;)

Bedtime Prayers

2010-03-03T01:29:00.005-06:00

Each night, after we read bedtime stories with Anna, we say a short, sweet little prayer with her before turning off the lights. We wanted it to be easy enough for her to be able to remember, so after making the sign of the cross and folding her cute little hands in prayer, this is what she says:

"Dear Jesus, thank you for this day. Amen."

Tonight for the first time, after she was done, I asked her if there was anything else she wanted to thank Jesus for. She nodded her head yes and said without even thinking about it, "Elmo."

After Oscar and a few other characters, she finally got around to Mommy & Daddy with some prodding.

Good to know where we rank.

So What You're Really Saying. . .

2010-02-26T21:14:00.003-06:00

Lately, anytime I am cleaning up, this is what my daughter says to me:

"Who's coming over to my house, Mommy?"

I'm thinking that probably says something about my house-keeping habits, but I don't want to read too much into it.

Wee-Hah!

2010-02-26T13:39:00.001-06:00

When we were trying on Anna's new Texan gear last night, we were trying to get Anna to say "Yeehaw!" At first, she would just shake her head no, but then she finally came out with a big "Wee-Hah!" So it's not quite right, but it's so darn cute I'm not complaining.

She was so excited to go to school today in her cowgirl hat and boots. She even brought her "Little People" princess horse and carriage for show-and-tell.

We sent her pink crocs as back-ups in case breaking in a new pair of boots proved too uncomfortable for a whole day of school. Something tells me she won't want to take her beloved boots off, though.

Now all we have to do is take her to the rodeo and show her what the real thing is all about! Wee-hah!

Don't Mess with Texas

2010-02-26T10:49:00.002-06:00

Today is Go Texan Day, so Anna was sporting her very first pink cowgirl hat and pink cowgirl boots to get in the Rodeo spirit. I wanted to take a few pictures before she left for school, and somewhere along the way, she started making this face.

Maybe she was trying to look tough, maybe she was tired of taking pictures. . .who knows! Either way, I think it's a great "Don't Mess With Texas" face, dont you?

More cowgirl pics later this afternoon. . .

Prayers for Layla Grace

2010-02-17T11:16:00.003-06:00

A little girl in Anna's class at daycare has a little sister named Layla Grace. This sweet little angel was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma last May when she was only about 16 months old, and her little body has been fighting it with numerous treatments since then

Very recently, her parents received the heartbreaking and unspeakable news that Layla Grace is losing her battle with cancer and that they should prepare for the end.

Here is an excerpt from her mom's journal yesterday:

"Please pray for her comfort; both physically and spiritually. Please pray that
she knows how much God loves her and she isn’t scared about what she is feeling
and what is happening. Please pray for minimal pain and suffering. Please pray
for Claire and Jenna. They are so confused and uncertain about what is
happening. They cannot fully grasp the finality of her impending death. I can
hardly grasp the finality of what is happening."

This family is definitely in my thoughts and prayers today. Please keep them in yours, and even send them a little note. It helps to know that people care.

Valentine Pajama Day

2010-02-12T23:43:00.002-06:00

With all of the cold, yucky weather we've been having lately, Anna's class has not been able to go outside and play for a while. And I think that this was making both the students and the teachers a bit stir-crazy! So at the last minute yesterday, they decided that today's Valentine celebration would be all fun, all day - and that everyone should wear pajamas!

Anna was so excited to bring her valentines to her teachers and friends and to get to wear her pj's to school. She even wanted to bring her "heart" blanket for nap, so I figured why not.

Her class was in the theater watching Snow White when I got there, so that was a huge treat. Probably the easiest drop-off in the history of Anna's daycare career...hehe.

She came home with the cutest little mailbox for her valentines (made out of a shoebox they asked us to bring a couple of weeks ago), and she was so proud of all of her cards and "chock-o-lit". I think that mailbox will make a perfect "treat" box for the next couple of weeks so she can "earn" her sugar little by little instead of totally overdosing this weekend!

Pray for willpower. (For me, not her). No means no, right?

Valentine Goodies

2010-02-11T17:08:00.002-06:00

This is the Valentine treat that Anna is giving to the kids in her class this year. She loves M & M's ("En-na-nems"), so it was very fitting. I got the idea from Shalonda Chaddock's blog...so cute! A girl after my own heart.

Oh, and the picture is by Mackenzie Wheatley of Chubbyfoot Photography - same session from our Christmas cards!

Hope you all have a Happy Valentine's Day!
(And that you get lots of Hugs, Kisses & Chocolate!)

I Heart Faces - "We Heart Kisses" Challenge

2010-02-09T07:42:00.002-06:00

It's been a while since I have entered one of the challenges over at I Heart Faces, but in honor of Valentine's Day, this week's theme is "We Heart Kisses", so I couldn't resist. . .

This is a picture of my daughter kissing the son of one of my best friends since we were in the 7th grade! You might remember him from this post last year.

These two just love each other and play so well together. I figure this will be a good shot for the slideshow at their rehearsal dinner one day :)

Go check out the rest of this week's entries to feel the love this Valentine's Day, or better yet, enter one yourself!

Snow Day - December 4, 2009

2010-01-17T19:12:00.006-06:00

*Note: I'm going to try to go back in fill in a little bit of what I missed, so please bear with the dates jumping around!

We don't get snow much here in the deep south, but on December 4, 2009, it snowed in Houston, Texas! We picked Anna up from school early so that she could enjoy it while it was still coming down.

She really loved getting to wear her mittens ("glubs") and just had a blast playing in the snow.

I think that she really would have loved to make a snowman, but this was the best we could do.

She had a little trouble at first when I was trying to explain to her that she could "eat" the snow. . .But she eventually got the hang of it!

We drew in the little bit of accumulation we got on the patio chairs, then Anna started complaining about being cold. Her little mittens had soaked through from all of the snow she picked up, and her hands were freezing!

And so our 2009 snow day ended. Hopefully, she'll get to see some REAL snow in the next couple of years!

Toddler Speak

2010-01-14T09:39:00.012-06:00

In the last year, Anna has turned into such the little chatterbox. Since she's getting better and better at mastering the English language every day, here are a few words that I want to remember how she says them right now. . .before she starts getting them right!

1. Chap Stick

Anna just loves putting chap stick on, so she asks for it all the time. She puts it on her upper lip all the way up to her nose and on her lower lip half-way down her chin.
Pronounced: "Chop Stick"

2. Chocolate

She's female. Enough said.
Pronounced: "Shock-lit"

3. M & M's

A rare treat in our house, but if she sees some, much pleading and whining ensues.
Prounounced: "EN-na-nems"

4. Our House

She has a little trouble with pronouns. I just so happen to think it's terribly cute.
Pronounced: "We house"

5. Potato Salad

She can say "potato" and she can say "salad", but can't put them together for some reason.
Pronounced: "Sah Salad"

6. Lemonade

She can say "lemon", but not "lemonade".
Pronounced: "MEM-a-lade"

7. Gloves

We've had a colder winter than usual this year, so Anna has gotten to wear her gloves quite a bit.
Pronounced: "Glubs"

8. Ballet

We took Anna to the Houston Ballet's Nutcracker for the first time this Christmas (Thanks Maw Maw!)
She loved it, she just can't seem to SAY it :)
Pronounced: "Buh-LAY"

9. There's a mean lady in there.

She loves Disney princesses, but doesn't love Disney princess movies because she is scared of the villains.
One night, she was looking at some Disney board books with Maw Maw and kept saying this over and over. No would could understand her except for Aunt Katie (aka. "The Toddler Whisperer")
Pronounced: "asdkanfqbnweiuaaiuamn"

See? You probably wouldn't have caught that last one either!

Vote for our Christmas Card! (Pretty Please!)

2010-01-14T09:26:00.004-06:00

Mackenzie Wheatley of Chubbyfoot Photography took our family pictures this year that I used to design our Christmas card, and she's having a little card contest on her blog!

Here is ours:

Please go to the link below and vote for us (#34) by leaving a comment if you get the chance! We'd really love to win the photobook!

http://chubbyfoot.typepad.com/chubbyfoot_chatter/2010/01/3140-and-were-done-3-days-to-left-to-vote-.html

Goodbye 2009, Hello 2010!

2010-01-12T22:22:00.004-06:00

Christmas and New Years Day have come and gone, and like so many other people, I was too caught up in the craziness that the holidays bring to write about all of the fun we were having. (Although I can assure you, we had a lot!)

Then when I finally came up for air, I was completely overwhelmed by the sheer volume of holiday pictures on my hard drive, and didn't know where to start. So I've decided to give myself a pass for now with no pressure to do a huge "catch up" post. If I get to it later, I get to it. And if I don't, I can live with that too. Clean slate.

So now it's time to leave 2009 behind and move forward into 2010. . .can't wait to see what it has in store for us!

The Man in the Red Suit

2009-12-06T23:33:00.008-06:00

We've turned an exciting corner with Anna this Christmas! For the first time, she truly understands the whole Santa Claus thing. So for the first time ever, she was super-enthusiastic about seeing the real guy and telling him all about what she would love to see under her tree on Christmas morning.

I have to admit that I was cautiously optimistic as we headed to the mall this afternoon, because Anna talked a big talk last year, then screamed her head off after getting just one glimpse of St. Nick. And even as we arrived today and got a look at the crowds, Anna looked over at me and said, "Maybe later". So we did some shopping, and I honestly wasn't sure if we would be going back.

But she did ask to go back. And her excitement this time was unwavering. Even after waiting in the dreaded long line that does not move, she still could not wait to get her turn with the man in the red suit. . .

Even as I put her on his lap, I was still half-expecting her to change her mind, but it never happened. She just sat and smiled for the camera like she was with a familiar friend, then rattled off her ever-changing list.

It's so amazing seeing the stars in her eyes. Makes the season all new and sparkly for me, too.

So thanks Anna...just one more way you're making my world a better place.

Love, Mommy

Happy Turkey Day!

2009-11-26T00:01:00.002-06:00

Last Friday, Anna's class had a Thanksgiving lunch that the parents were invited to. MawMaw and Anna helped me make these cute little turkey cupcakes from the book "Hello, Cupcake!" to bring to Anna's friends in her class.

They were so adorable, but by the time I got them to the school, the icing was softening and some of the heads were falling off! To that, all I can say is Oops! But hey, nobody's perfect. I'm no exception to that - and neither are my turkeys :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thankful

2009-11-25T14:14:00.003-06:00

It's easy to get caught up in all the things in life that aren't going the way you would like, but as I'm trying to figure out what to write about this Thanksgiving, I'm overwhelmed by all of the blessings that we have to be thankful for.

Derek posted this on his FaceBook page today, and I think he said it very well. . .

"As we reflect on the many things for which we are thankful this Thanksgiving
season, I thank God for family & friends, I thank God for the freedom &
liberty we enjoy every day, I thank God that we live in THE UNITED STATES of
AMERICA and I thank God for the United States Military for the protection of our
home land and freedom across the world.

Happy Thanksgiving America!"

And a big, huge Happy Thanksgiving to all of our friends and family - we wouldn't have nearly as much to be thankful for if it weren't for you.

Love, Us

Charles

2009-11-23T22:24:00.006-06:00

Derek went fishing on Sunday, so Anna & I met my friend Ashley, her husband Paul, and their gorgeous little boy Charles to try to get some pictures of him in his oh-so-cute Kelly's Kids corduroy blazer. And I have to say...he definitely was oh-so-cute!

It was really fun for me because we took Anna to this same location for pictures this time last year. I can remember being really frustrated because Anna wouldn't stay still, wouldn't look at the camera, wouldn't do anything at all that I wanted her to do. And all I wanted was a nice picture of her smiling in her pretty dress.

But I never did get that shot that I had envisioned in my brain, and in retrospect, I'm glad I didn't. Because what I did get was even more valuable - pictures of Anna being Anna. Exactly who she was at that moment. Completely priceless memories.

And being in that same place a year later with Charles, I was armed with the knowledge that my experience had given me.

So maybe he didn't sit still. Maybe he didn't indulge us our every request. Maybe he chose to flash his biggest smiles at me when I didn't have my camera in his face. Maybe he was way faster than I could possibly move.

But I know that what I captured is purely Charles being wonderful Charles.

Exactly who he is right now: A sweet little energetic thing, with sparkling blue eyes and a contagious smile. Who looks at the world with such wonder and excitement, and tries to take it all in at once. Who blows a seriously mean air-kiss and who just loves my Anna to pieces.

Ashley and Paul, I hope the workout was worth it. . .

It certainly was for me.

Electricity

2009-11-23T00:45:00.007-06:00

This is what Anna looked like every single time she came down the slide today. Every. Single. Time.

I'd like to see you try to keep a straight face! I certainly didn't fare so well.

Note to self: Maybe a ponytail next time?

Hiding

2009-11-15T19:19:00.002-06:00

Yesterday morning, the strangest thing happened. I couldn't find Anna, but there was the most peculiar Anna-shaped lump in my bed. . .

Luckily, although Anna loves to hide, she is terrible at doing it quietly, and it didn't take long at all to smoke her out with a little "If you're happy and you know it". . .

Man, I live for that smile!

Passing the Torch

2009-11-12T01:15:00.005-06:00

For as long as I can remember, my family has gone on a Halloween camping trip to Jellystone Park every single year. I have the best memories of riding bikes, carving pumpkins, hay rides, ghost hunts, campsite-decorating, dummy-making, trick-or-treating, sorting through and trading loads of candy (snickers for a smarties, anyone?), and even doing a little "Thriller" and "Monster Mash" from time to time.

It's been a couple of years, but we finally got the old group back together this year and had a blast. The weather was absolutely perfect for Anna's first Jellystone Halloween. It was kind of strange being the parent there instead of the child for the first time, but it was so fun experiencing everything with her and helping her make memories like the ones I hold so dear.

I was the only one there with a camera this year, so there has been a lot of pressure to share pictures. Hope this little slideshow will do. (Hope it makes you smile, too!)

The song from the slideshow is the title track from Ingrid Michaelson's newest CD "Everybody". Such a cute, happy, catchy little song. Thought it was perfect for this!

Enjoy!

Thank you, Shipley's!

2009-11-11T09:28:00.002-06:00

This morning, Anna wanted a donut for breakfast. With pink glaze. And sprinkles. ALL the colors. (She was very specific.) So on the way to bring her to school, I stopped at Shipley's near our house.

The grand total for a donut with pink glaze and sprinkles is just over a dollar. So I hand the lady my debit card (because I NEVER have cash), and she informs me that there is a $3 minimum on debit card charges.

So I just wanted to shout out a big sarcastic THANK YOU to Shipley's for MAKING me eat a kolache this morning just so that my sweet daughter can have a pink-glazed, sprinkled donut! Oh, and my big butt thanks you too!

Sofa in the Woods

2009-11-07T16:46:00.006-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, we did a "Sofa in the Woods" session with Mackenzie Wheatley of Chubbyfoot Photography in Kingwood, TX. I just got my proof CD late this week, so I'm very excited to share a few of my favorites with you!

Disclaimer: I have a full copyright release for these pictures, so I did so some of my own editing in Photoshop. If you do not like the editing, please do not hold it against Mackenzie - she knows not what I do.

Anna was in a great mood, and Mackenzie did an excellent job of keeping her engaged and smiling. Even for a generally happy kid like Anna, it looked exhausting! There was a dog puppet that kept "falling" off of Mackenzie's head that I think got really genuine smiles from all of us.

I really love this one of the three of us for some reason. It's probably my favorite of the day.

I like this one because it features Anna as the little show-stealer that she is, and has Derek and I in the back seat (which is where we usually are where she is concerned anyway!).

And who doesn't love some sweet little Daddy-Daughter time?

Of course, I couldn't resist a big squeeze with my little bug. I'm all about equal opportunity cuddling, okay?

Those first two outfits were Matilda Jane. Anna had no problem putting either of them on; however, a total meltdown ensued (cars were actually slowing down to ask if everything was okay because they thought someone was injured!) when she was asked to take that last one off. My theory is that perhaps we were a little too enthusiastic in telling her how cute she looked in it. Live and learn, right?

Alas, she finally recovered and flashed us a few smiles in this last outfit. . .

I'd be smiling too if Mini Boden made that red cord jacket in my size!

I would love to share more, but as of right now, I'm planning to use pictures from this session on our Christmas card this year so I want to save a few surprises.

More pictures. . .coming to a mailbox near you in December!

Good Witch or Bad Witch?

2009-11-03T23:15:00.005-06:00

When Dorothy arrives in Oz, Glenda the Good Witch asks her the question, "Are you a good witch or a bad witch?" Dorothy innocently replies, "I'm not a witch at all. I'm Dorothy Gale, from Kansas."

I took Anna outside of the daycare on Friday for these pictures in her witch costume when I visited for her Halloween Parade.

After we were done and were headed back to her classroom, I asked her the same question, "Are you a good witch or a bad witch?"

She just as innocently replied, "I'm not bad, Mommy. I'm nice!"

I couldn't agree more, my sweet Anna!

Happy Halloween

2009-10-30T14:20:00.002-05:00

Anna was so excited to go to school today because they're having a Halloween Parade this afternoon. She brought her witch costume, and they will put it on her after naptime for trick-or-treating. Her little Build-a-Bear friend Curly is wearing her witch costume too and went along as show and tell.

This is the last time I'll be able to post until after Halloween, so I wanted to go ahead and wish everyone a Happy Halloween! Hope yours is spooky, safe & fun!

Witchy Woman

2009-10-29T18:46:00.002-05:00

We're rapidly running out of time to get in all of Anna's Halloween-wear before the day has come and gone, and I just remembered this morning that I bought this shirt on mega-sale from Orient Expressed at the end of last season. . .

So Anna wore it today, and she was more than happy to pull her sweater back to show off her cute little witch for me before we left for school this morning.

She was pretty excited about the shirt because she's going to be a witch for Halloween this year. Hopefully, I'll have some pictures to share of her in her costume after the weekend!

Are You Okay?

2009-10-27T21:14:00.003-05:00

Back in the Spring, Anna had a little choking episode with a Lifesaver candy that was honestly one of the scariest moments of my life. So I have to admit that I now have the tendency to overreact when she has a coughing fit. I immediately start asking her, "Are you okay? Are you okay?..." until she answers me. And she's young, but I've made sure that she understands that I'm asking because I'm scared and how important it is to let me know that she's alright.

That little backstory brings me to this morning. . .
I had just gotten Anna dressed for school, and she was awake but still stumbling around a little. She was cutting through the dining room to get to me in the kitchen, and I heard Derek yell, "Whoa, Anna!" just as she apparently almost walked head-first into the corner of the dining room table. So when she emerged in the kitchen, I said, "Anna, are you okay?"

She looked up at me with a confused look on her face and said, "I not cough, Mommy!"

How do they get so smart?!

Here Comes the Sun

2009-10-27T00:00:00.006-05:00

We have been really busy this month, and I'll be the first to admit that I am way behind. I still need to post pictures from our camping trip weekend before last, and this past weekend was just non-stop - two birthday parties, a visit with some friends, and a long overdue family portrait session with Mackenzie Wheatley of Chubbyfoot Photography.

Hopefully, I'll have some pictures to share from our Chubbyfoot session in the next week or so, but until then, here are a few that I snapped of Anna at a park near our house on the way home from one of her parties on Saturday. I can't seem to look at them without humming The Beatles' song "Here Comes the Sun" not only because of the beautiful warmth in them, but even more so because of how darn happy they are and how much fun she had!

Anna made fast friends with this stick as soon as we got there.

She played in the water with it. . .

. . .and she even put her "game face" on and used it to fend off trees, monsters and Mommies!

Then she got distracted by all of the other fun things around her. Like pine needles. . .

. . .and peek-a-boo trees. . .

. . .and she even built a "house" for me out of pebbles from the walkway.

Then just before we left, I begged her to give one last smile for Mommy. I was shocked, but without a fight, she cocked her little shoulder up and just smiled away for me. I'm not sure where she learned that pose, but that's not unusual because I don't know where she gets most of what she does!

Then we hopped in the car and headed home. . .in the sunset.

"Here comes the sun. . .doo doo doo doo"

(Stuck in your head yet?)

Asleep on the Job

2009-10-26T23:53:00.004-05:00

I've been asleep on the job a bit lately as far as this blog is concerned, and I know I need to post about our camping trip. But since I don't have time to do that right now I figured this would be an appropriate picture to share from our weekend at Inks Lake. . .

This is what happens when you fall asleep during a hike. Red bull, people!

P-Dub

2009-10-16T11:05:00.008-05:00

I have no business posting right now. Trying to finish up an early day of work and finish packing for our camping trip to Inks Lake State Park this weekend, but I am so tickled and just have to share!

I've followed The Pioneer Woman's blog (affectionately known as P-Dub to her readers) pretty much every day for the past few years. I particularly love the photography section, and yesterday she gave a photography assignment to post textured photos to The Pioneer Woman's Photography Assignments group on Flickr. I had a few on my hard drive, so I figured why not.

Today, I was shocked to see this photo of mine on today's post on her photography blog. . .

I took it out in the gorgeous flower patch at Dewberry Farm when Anna made it very clear she wanted nothing to with my camera. A little playing around in Photoshop, a little added texture, and voila!

There were literally thousands of pictures uploaded to P-Dub's Flickr site, so I'm just so tickled that she noticed mine!

Thank you, that is all :) Now back to packing. . .

The Other "ism"

2009-10-14T22:24:00.003-05:00

Mommy: "Anna, get your shoes so we can go bye-bye."

Anna: [Throwing hands in air] "Where ism?"

Direction Translation: "Where is them?"

Correct English: "Where are they?"

But it's close enough for now, not to mention really adorable.

Doin' the Dew

2009-10-14T01:52:00.005-05:00

So as I mentioned before, we made a trip to Dewberry Farm a few weekends ago. We have gone every year for the past three years, and I honestly cannot say enough good about this place. They add new things to do every year, and it just keeps getting better and better.

This year, we were really excited because MawMaw and PawPaw were able to come with us for the first time, as were our friends Cesar & Laura and their kiddos. Ross & Nicole, who usually make this trip with us every year, were dearly missed this time, but they had a good excuse as they were home taking care of their new little man.

Before I move on to sharing some of the pictures from the day, I have to first admit that this trip started out with the awful realization that I managed to bring my camera but forget my CF card! Making the thirty minute drive back to the house for it was not an option (but one that I definitely briefly considered!), so I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised when Cesar (my hero!) pulled an extra CF card out of his camera bag. Thanks again Cesar - you're a lifesaver, and possibly a marriage-saver! lol.

And no - I have no explanation for that last picture. Just something I thought you all should know.

The Bedtime Look

2009-10-07T23:32:00.006-05:00

If you got this look every time you enthusiastically said, "Anna's going to sleep in her own big girl bed tonight!", along with the hopeful response, "No! I sleep in Mommy-Daddy bed!". . .

. . .there's a pretty good chance you'd be a sucker too!

(The jammies that say "I rule the castle" do very little to help establish me as the authority figure I know is in there somewhere.)

In the meantime, I'm off to snuggle with my little bug. . .followed by the obligatory elbow to the ribs, smack in the face, and kick in the head from the cutest little foot ever.

Halloween Fun

2009-10-06T21:42:00.004-05:00

This past weekend, we took a trip out to Dewberry Farm. I have lots of pictures to share from our fun (and we had a lot!), but in the meantime, here's a little Halloween fun for you. . .

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Those of you that know my Dad should appreciate the fact that I made him the character with the most hair! Haha!

Poser

2009-10-02T17:45:00.007-05:00

Anna has been sick all week and is finally feeling better today, so I took her to the park this afternoon to get her out of the house. She is really starting to like having her picture taken, and was posing up a storm for me.

See if you can guess which ones were her idea and which ones were mine. . .

Answer: Mine

Answer: Definitely Hers!

Answer: Her interepretation of my idea (the arm placement & crossed foot is ALL her!)

Answer: Hers...and a really good one at that!

Answer: Mine

Monkeying Around

2009-09-29T23:30:00.004-05:00

I took my little monkey to a nearby playground this past weekend to run off some of that toddler energy.

For all of the fun slides and age-appropriate activites, she spent the most time hanging and swinging on these bars that were part of the exercise course. She would kick up her legs and throw her head way back. Not sure where she learned that - pretty sure all they do in "nastics" is jump, roll & flip - but this momma sure got a kick out of it!

Oh, in case you were wondering (and I know you were), that ridiculously adorable outfit is by Matilda Jane. I am obsessively counting the days until Anna's outfits arrive from the new Gypsy Blue line! They will definitely be making an appearance on this blog in the next couple of weeks. No doubt. Stay tuned.

Happy (Late) Birthday Paw Paw!

2009-09-29T22:50:00.004-05:00

Instead of buying a birthday cake for PawPaw this year, I thought it would be fun for Anna to make one. She was really excited, and when unleashed on the baking aisle at the grocery store, she immediately picked out the Pillsbury Funfetti cake mix. If you don't know what that is, check it out - it's easy to see why it would appeal to a toddler next to plain white or chocolate cake!

She had a blast applying (and eating!) the icing, as shown in the picture below of her showing off her creation, complete with a lovely goatee of icing. She put the candles in herself (some too far), but she was scared of the red decorative icing after it backfired a little and I got stuck with that job.

All of her hard work earned her the privilege of helping Paw Paw blow out his candles. (Old people need help because they have smaller lung capacity, you know!)

Happy Birthday, Paw Paw! We love you very much (even though you're old)!

Loverboy

2009-09-27T23:59:00.001-05:00

The many future girlfriends are going to love this one (I sure do)! So adorable, and agreeable, too! He barely made a peep the entire time we played photo shoot with him - unless I dared to touch his feet. The nerve of me!

Because he was so super cooperative, I took way too many pictures and am now left wading through trying to figure out what to edit. But here are a few that I have gotten to so far. . .

Thanks for being such a little sweetie, Adam!

Rest up: Round 2 begins as soon as that cute little hat I bought you arrives! <*evil laugh*>

Hey Jealousy

2009-09-27T23:58:00.006-05:00

Before I post more pictures of Adam, I have to share this one of my sweet little monkey that I took that same day. . .

You may notice that the rug she is laying on is the same one I used for Adam's pictures. Totally not a coincidence.

For this one, she was actually doing me a favor and being my test subject while I was playing with different camera settings. I told her that I needed her head on the rug, and she posed herself. (Clear sign of a child that has a camera in her face far too often!)

So while I was taking Adam's pictures, Anna was playing with Olivia, but would periodically come by to check out what I was doing and to say, "You hold me, Mommy." She was very patient but was clearly getting a little frustrated about my attention being elsewhere. So I'm not sure why I was surprised at what happened when Adam decided our photo fun was over and Nicole picked him up. . .but I was.

Without missing a beat, Anna threw herself back down on the rug and said, "You take picture of me, Mommy!"

Jealous much? Maybe.

Irresistibly cute? Definitely.

Sneak Peek: Adam Luke

2009-09-26T19:41:00.004-05:00

This one is for mommy. More to come!

Enjoy!

Funner With Five

2009-09-24T19:46:00.004-05:00

* Please Note: I am aware that "funner" is not a word. I just liked the alliteration and I'm sticking with it. This drives Derek crazy.

I'm a bit late in blogging it, but we had some good, spontaneous fun in the backyard last Saturday afternoon. It started off with just Anna playing on her playset. . .

She likes to use this little pink spade to dig in everything in the back yard. Her favorite thing to do with it is to transport mulch and dirt from our plant beds to the cute little window boxes on her playhouse. . .

Then, some of her friends showed up, and the afternoon got a lot more fun. . .

We tried to get all five of them in, but Santi kept crawling up the slide way too fast for me! If you look really closely, you can actually see a little of his hind end at the top of the slide. lol.

Here's another one with just the brothers. So sweet. . .

Santi had a good time on the swing, too! Can you tell?!

And since running around all crazy can be tiring for even little people (not just old ladies such as myself!), I was able to grab this shot of these three relaxing in the grass for a (very) short break.

We're so lucky that Anna has such great friends! As do we :)

Unpredictable

2009-09-17T23:39:00.006-05:00

This morning when I was driving Anna to school, she was "reading" a new Halloween book that I bought her called "Who's There on Halloween."

Anna: [Looking at a page in the book.]

Me: "What do you see?"

Anna: "A bat."

Me: "Ohhhhh, what color is the bat?"

Anna: "Black."

Me: "Read that page to me. What does it say?"

Anna: "I. Love. Bats."

Me: [giggles because it totally doesn't say that] "What's on the next page?"

Anna: " A pumpkin!"

Me: "What does that page say?"

Anna: "I. Love. Pumpkins."

[We arrive at school and I climb into the back seat to help Anna out of her carseat.]

Me: "Oh, Anna...what's on that page?"

Anna: "A spider!"

Me: [seeing the obvious pattern] "Does that page say, 'I. Love. Spiders.'?"

Anna: "No!"

Me: [surprised, but very interested] "Oh? Then what does it say?"

Anna: [sings, with hand motions] "The itsy bitsy spider. . ."

My little chica gets some definite creativity points on that one!

I Heart Faces - Photo Challenge

2009-09-15T07:45:00.007-05:00

"Contemplative" Photo Entry:

I love this picture of my daughter Anna from a recent post! She loves to sit (and jump!) on our bed, and this was a rare moment when the bed was actually made. The natural light coming in through the windows was hitting her so beautifully that I couldn't resist getting a quick shot.

"Pets" Photo Entry:

This picture of my friend Ashley's dog Sophie also showed up in another recent post, but it was so cute that I couldn't pass up using it for this week's challenge. The "free to good home" caption was a joke for Ashley because Sophie has been peeing in their closet for attention lately, and Ashley is tired of cleaning up the mess!

Enter yourself or check out all of the other entries for this week's challenge over at I ♥ Faces!

Pressure

2009-09-14T21:10:00.004-05:00

When i picked Anna up today from daycare, as soon as we got in the parking lot she looked me straight in the eye and this is how our conversation went. . .

Anna: "I want a sister."

Me: [wondering where that came from] "What?!"

Anna: [louder] "I want a sister."

Me: [still processing] "What?!"

Anna: [emphatically] "I want a sister right now!"

Me: [laughs, thinking she doesn't really know what she's saying]

Me: "What is a sister?"

Anna: [like I am the dumbest person ever] "Like a baby!"

She's getting more and more insistent. But don't worry, I can take the pressure!

Lazy Sunday

2009-09-13T23:56:00.013-05:00

Today, we had lunch with our good friends Ashley & Paul at their beautiful new house. It was such a nice, relaxing visit, and it gave Anna the chance to play with her little boyfriend, Charles (aka "Char-less").

I had my camera with me as usual, and I was snapping away at the kiddos. Charles had this cool little toy camera, and my little booger decided to snap right back at me. . .

Like the polish job? Daddy did both her fingers and toes. They're starting to chip here, but he actually did a really great job. He'll do yours too for the low low price of $24.99. Anyone?

Oh, and this, my friends, is Charles. Killer blue eyes, gorgeous smile, and the sweetest little voice to go along with them.

Charles' mommy Ashley and I have been friends since the 7th grade. She's definitely one of those people that feels like "home" to me, and I'm so so happy that they made the move closer to our side of town. Not only do I get to see my beautiful friend more, but our kiddos can grow up together as well, and that, to me, is so special.

So Ashley says that she doesn't really have any recent pictures of herself with Charles. Here are a few fun ones of the two of them gooning today that I hope she'll enjoy. . .

One more gratuitous shot of my sweet angel by the fountain in Ashley's neighborhood. In a shocking turn, Anna actually managed to stay dry.

And last but not least, this is Sophie. She was Ashley & Paul's "child". . .before Charles came along. She's skating on thin ice right now because she recently decided that peeing in the closet is a good way to get attention.

Hehe. Just kidding, Sophie.

Maybe.

That time again?

2009-09-11T19:50:00.003-05:00

Is it time to have another baby? Everyone else seems to think so. . .

I hear it all the time from family, strangers, you name it. I'm even kind of used to the comments and have a defense at the ready.

But today, as it turns out, even Similac is ready for me to have another one! I got a little care package in the mail from Similac - a sample of their powdered formula, another of their soy formula, and a lovely brochure on "The Art of Feeding." Oh so thoughtful of them.

Then, I'm sitting at the dinner table tonight, eating and minding my own business, and my own child says out of the blue, "Mommy, I want a baby sister."

To all of you, five words: I. AM. NOT. READY. . .YET.

Someday, though! And until then, I'll be enjoying every second of giving my sweet Anna every last spec of my attention :)